Apple set to shut down Beats music service: report

Apple is set to discontinue the Beats streaming music service it acquired earlier this year to focus on iTunes, the news website TechCrunch reported Monday, AFP reports.

Citing sources at both Apple and Beats, TechCrunch reported that engineers from Beats music have been moved off the product and onto other projects at Apple, including iTunes.

Apple did not respond to an AFP query on the report.

TechCrunch said it had not determined a date for the shutdown but that five sources familiar with the product said Apple would "sunset" the brand.

Signs of the move were also evident with the lack of Beats Music pre-installed on the new iPhone 6 and 8 Plus, the report noted.

The Apple Watch unveiled this month includes an unnamed music app with a blue play button, another sign of the end of Beats.

A shutdown also would fit with Apple's strategy of maintaining a unified brand, according to the report.

Apple paid $3 billion for Beats, which is known for high-end audio equipment in addition to the streaming music service, a move which appeared to be aimed at helping the iPhone maker reach new audiences.

Apple's biggest-ever acquisition also brought onboard the talent of Beats brains Dr. Dre, a rap musician, and Jimmy Iovine, a music producer seen by some as a visionary for recognizing the trend toward online streaming.